Same Here
by Chibimono Akuno
Summary: Pirate King or Shichibukai, Zoro would rather have his captain at arms length than anywhere else. But calls from DenDens are the next best thing. [ZoLu shounen ai]


**Title:** Same Here  
**Author:** Chibimono Akuno  
**Fandom:** One Piece  
**Pairing:** Zoro x Luffy  
**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 1,186 words  
**Warnings:** Fluffy... No real spoilers, but some theories are at play here.  
**Disclaimers:** Not mine. Just pretending. But I still love Oda.  
**A/N: **For the LiveJournal theme community, 101-kisses. Theme #21: _Wireless_.

**Same Here**  
_by Chibimono Akuno_

The breeze swung Zoro's hammock lazily, rocking him in a place between napping and wakefulness. Despite his calm exterior, the swordsman was quite tense and the beautiful climate and equally exquisite scenery did nothing to help ease him.

It was not so much the fact that he was in charge, because he really did not care about that. So what if Chopper and Usopp ran off to the wilderness? Or if Sanji was eaten by the very meal he was trying to capture and prepare? The latter, Zoro quite often prayed for. Zoro did not worry about them, because they knew how to take care of themselves. Besides, they had been to this island plenty of times and the four of them knew what to expect.

It was the waiting that seemed to set the first mate on edge. Waiting for something, anything. A sign, a comment, a letter, a call. Anything. By gods, they were just across the island from each other, so it could not be that hard.

Damn the stupid World Government and their damn rules. And damn Luffy for accepting a position among the _Shichibukai_. As if being Pirate King was not enough!

A slight movement in Zoro's _haramaki_ and a low hum had Zoro pulling a baby _DenDen Mushi_ out it's hiding spot.

"Yeah," he barked into the receiver, foregoing all politeness. There were only a few people that called him on the _DenDen_, and they knew better than to expect formalities from him.

"Zoro!" came the chipper reply, the little _DenDen_'s face stretching out in the biggest, brightest smile possible.

On the first syllable of his name, Zoro felt the tension melt away in an instant as a grin found it's way to his face. "Hey, Captain. How's it goin'?"

The snail in his hand pouted, and Zoro could just imagine the same expression, though much more adorable, on Luffy's face.

"Mou, it's boring here, Zoro. Everyone's talking about mystery stuff, and I have to be quiet or Nami hits me. Nobody plays games over here, Zoro! They're so serious!"

Zoro chuckled. Two years of searching for _One Piece_, two years as the King of Pirates, and then a year of being included in the _Shichibukai_, and Luffy had not changed one bit. Ah, but then Luffy would not quite be Luffy if he had been any different.

"What have you been doing, Zoro?"

"Just getting a good nap in, 's all," Zoro sighed, stretching from where he lay in the hammock. "What about you? You got Nami or Robin paying attention in those meetings?"

It had been that the World Government requested only members of the _Shichibukai_ be present for their meetings, due to an unannounced fear that a whole crew coming along could possibly attempt a take over. But Nami had insisted she come along with the Pirate King, and Robin had made it a point, with a flutter of many hands, that she come along with her captain, as well. Since then, the law was just changed to no more than two crew members with each _Shichibukai_, and the rest was forced to wait on the other side of the island.

Zoro would resign himself to waiting with the rest of the men, but he did not like the distance of a whole island between he and his captain. Not when he was used to the confines of a ship putting Luffy at arm's reach at all times, and sometimes quite literally. It was times like this that left him relying on a tiny _DenDen Mushi_ and just the sound of the rubber man's voice.

"Hmmm... I guess?" Luffy answered Zoro's question. "Robin just sits there, so maybe she is. But Nami sometimes won't shut up, even when the Marine guys tell her to. All I know is, it's my job to hold onto _One Piece_. But why do we have to keep having meetings about that, Zoro? Are they afraid I'm going to lose it or something?"

With a snort, Zoro rolled his eyes. "They know you won't lose _Pluton_. They just want to be sure it's protected and that you ain't gonna go and use it on them, so they want you to keep them updated."

"Oh," was the simple response, but Zoro was sure his explanation, though plain it was, did not make it all the way through to that rubber brain.

The fact that _Pluton_ was amongst the finds of Gold Rogers' legendary _One Piece_ gave Luffy more power than he realized. With Luffy as the King of Pirates and in control of _One Piece_, the Strawhat crew was able to escape the bounty on their heads and have their captain raised to the status of _Shichibukai_. Of course, Luffy did not seem to understand it all completely, but as long as Luffy knew it was important, that was all that mattered. Nami and Robin could handle the World Government for him.

"Oi, Zoro..."

Blinking, Zoro looked at the little _DenDen_ resting on his chest. Luffy's voice had softened across the line and it made Zoro curious as to what his captain was thinking.

"Yeah, Luffy?"

"I wanna come back to the _Going Merry_ now..."

"We'd like to have you back, Captain," Zoro sighed, wanting to rub his hand in the dark hair on the rubber man's head.

"But Nami said it would be another day." Ah, that pout again.

"Don't worry. We're waiting for you," Zoro smiled.

"Oi, Zoro. Tell Sanji to have a big feast ready, okay? Because the food is good here, but they don't make enough. I'm so huuuuuungry."

Zoro laughed. "Okay, okay."

"And tell Usopp and Chopper! Tell them to set up the curtain, so I can pretend to be the Marine guys for them!"

"Of course," Zoro replied, already wondering what impersonations Luffy was going to present to them all once he returned. For all the weight of responsibility that seemed to be on his captain's shoulders, Luffy's playful childishness never changed.

"And, Zoro..."

"Yeah?"

"Zoro..."

"Yes, my Captain?"

There was a loud, sloppy, wet kiss pressed to the receiver on Luffy's end, causing Zoro's little _DenDen_ to pucker its lips and make kissy faces as the sound came through to his end. Zoro found himself laughing, knowing that the kiss would not be quite so bad as it seemed if his captain were right there with him.

"I miss you, Zoro," Luffy chirped after he finished smothering his _DenDen_ with a final loud _mu-wah_.

"I know you do," Zoro smiled at the tiny _DenDen_, wishing Luffy could see the smile himself.

"I want a hug when I get back! Captain's orders!"

"Sure thing, Captain."

"Love you, Zoro."

"Same here, Luffy," Zoro replied. The baby _DenDen_ then went silent, it's eyes shutting to return to sleep as the connection ended. The first mate sighed and tucked it away in his _haramaki_ before shifting around to find comfort again in his hammock.

Zoro sighed again before shutting his eyes for a much needed nap, and possibly dreams of the clueless yet strong Pirate King.

"Same here."

_- owari -_


End file.
